It keeps the victim from losing his memory.” “Ziko potion, to protect against the bite of the soulstealer snake.” “Tell me what you have made, apprentice.” Let your breath come through mine to those you’ve placed in my care.”ĭoron, the head judge, rises to his feet and comes to stand in front of my fire. “Goddess, let your touch come through the craft of my hands. Then I stir the contents briskly until the entire mixture is cool enough to drink, murmuring the ritual prayer. Immediately, I grab some washcloths and lift the pot off the flames. The first bubble forms at the surface of my mixture and pops, sending droplets of potion hissing into the fire. Kaylah has taught me well, and I know I can do this. The sight of her strengthens my resolve, and I dismiss my thoughts of playing it safe. Many times before, Kaylah has stopped me to gently correct my technique, but today she is an impartial judge like the others. If I’ve added a spoonful too much water or built my fire too high, missorted the roots or chewed my mouthfuls to the wrong degree, she will have seen it. As I wipe it away, I see my master, Kaylah, sitting between two other healers. Perhaps it’s better to present a passable effort than to aim for perfection and fail.Ī bead of sweat rolls off my brow. Perhaps I should be cautious today, when my future is at stake. A perfect potion is brought to boiling and immediately cooled, but letting it boil a few moments longer ruins it all. The hotter the ziko gets, the stronger its protective properties - but only up to a point. It won’t be long until the whole mixture boils, and I wonder if I should take it off the fire now, just to be safe. The ziko pulp, which I’d sorted by smell and chewed mouthful by mouthful, now sits in a pot over a fire. If I’d been planning ahead, I might have brought a mint leaf to chew, but I’ve had more important things on my mind. Nothing dislodges ziko bitterness not water, not bread, nor goat’s milk. I run my tongue over my palate to rub out the taste, though I know it won’t work. A bitter film of ziko root coats the inside of my mouth.
0 kommentar(er)
